A group of Western aid workers for an organisation headed by former Foreign Secretary David Miliband have been thrown out of pro-Moscow eastern Ukraine on suspicion of ‘espionage’.

The move against the International Rescue Committee (IRC) comes one week ahead of Britain’s election that could lead to his brother Labour leader Ed Miliband emerging as prime minister, and will be seen as a warning shot by the Kremlin.

A Russian news agency with close ties to the Russian secret services aired footage of seven US and EU nationals being loaded onto a coach bound for Kiev from the self-styled Donetsk People’s Republic.

Earlier, masked gunmen raided the office of the New York-based IRC in Donetsk, and a security source accused the humanitarian organisation of concealing ‘eavesdropping equipment’ on the premises.